Baby, it's cold outside...

Some girls hoard lip glosses. For the same money, my friend collects vintage minks and furs.

She finds them at flea markets around Tampa Bay, where the prices are cheaper than at antique malls and vintage clothing stores. She's never paid more than $35 for a fur, and that was a gorgeous dark mink coat with an emerald green silk lining.

She feels it would be a crime to allow such soft, luxurious elegance to languish on the bargain rack for the price of a sandwich. What deal diva could disagree? One glimpse into into her mink closet inspired a solution to my own winter coat dilemma.

I'm attending the black-tie optional wedding in January at an exclusive Manhattan club. While my girlfriends debate long-or-short dresses, my wardrobe plight was more dire. This Florida diva no longer owns a winter coat, much less a dressy one.

With visions of mink dancing in my mind, I stopped by the Gandy Blvd. Goodwill store in St. Pete. In five minutes, I found a fur-trimmed camel coat that would make Jackie O proud. The only thing more perfect than the condition was the price tag: $22.

Need your own vintage mink stole or cashmere coat? Here are my friend's tips on what to look for:

* Linings in good shape. (No stains or tears.)

* No missing patches of fur, which makes them look mangy.

* Very light or white fur looks less dated than the mid-brown minks that were big in the 40s and 50s.

Feeling a twinge of guilt? Though PETA and similar groups have targeted celebs who wear animal fur, my friend sleeps easy. Her rationale for buying vintage fur: The critter that contributed the fur has been dead a long time and her not wearing a coat or stole ain't gonna bring it back to life!

About the bloggers

Looking for shopping deals in Tampa Bay? The Deal Divas are on the prowl, sniffing out hot fashion finds that won't leave your wallet in ruins. Now you never have to miss a shopping deal! Check in often for the lowdown on local bargains, as well as fashion advice, fun photos and style news. Disclaimer: The content of this blog is produced by the editorial staff of the Times and is not tied to advertising. Email us ideas you'd like us to write about.

Stephanie Hayes, addicted to heels for 15 years, has been experimenting with ballet flats, boots and cute sneakers lately. Her poor, tired feet thank her. She can never get enough animal print, and her eye shadow collection has become a bit of a hoard. While other kids were reciting multiplication tables, she was learning to calculate an extra third off the half-price discount during buy-one-get-one week. She knows a healthy swipe of red lipstick can make any outfit better. She can be reached at (727) 893-8716 or shayes@tampabay.com.

Katie Sanders foolishly spurned pretty dresses and shoes as a child, tossing new clothes over her shoulder at birthday parties with a totally rude "no, thank you." Her drab days of monocolor outfits are over now, and she certainly knows better than to turn down free stuff. Her wardrobe mixes classic with quirk. Think blazers with statement necklaces, and lots of patterned ballet flats. She can be reached at (727) 893-8037 or ksanders@tampabay.com.

A compulsive deal scourer, Michelle Stark is trying to evolve her style philosophy from grab-it-because-it's-cheap-and-worry-if-it-fits later to one that embraces quality staples and more color. When it comes to her closet, it's generally still quantity over quality, but she recently splurged on a treasured pair of Lucky jeans. Progress! Her style leans toward classically cutesy - think Loft, The Limited and Banana Republic, blouses with bows, blazers with polka dots and all the skinny jeans in sight. But she never turns down a trip to a thrift store, or JC Penney. Her greatest sartorial sale achievement was finding her senior prom dress on clearance for $20. She can be reached at (727) 893-8829 or mstark@tampabay.com.

Kathryn Varn spends most of her fashion energy at thrift stores, flea markets and sale racks at the mall. Her style has ranged from "preppy Hollister defender" to "eclectic hippie aunt," but she has since landed on "vintage career woman who wears sun dresses on the weekends." Her proudest secondhand find was a 1950s blue tea length skirt dotted with sunflowers from Brooklyn Flea, but there will always be a special place in her heart for the pair of high-waisted Levis she cut into jorts during college. Her closet is full of fur-fringed coats from her grandmother, and maybe one day, she'll live in a place cold enough to actually wear them. She can be reached at (727) 893-8913 or kvarn@tampabay.com.

Katherine Snow Smith’s closet is filled with colorful patterns from a Lilly halter with pink and yellow giraffes to a maxi dress with oversized flowers and peace signs. She likes many styles — bohemian, preppy, vintage, classic — as long they’re unique and on sale. She’ll splurge at Saks or Anne Fontaine but favorite spots are T.J. Maxx and consignment stores. Her best purchase? A one-sleeve kaleidoscope-print Valentino blouse from the Sloan Kettering hospital resale shop in New York. (Legend has it Jackie O. used to drop her discards there.) When Katherine was 14 she bought a $29 oversized, velvet-covered anthology of Oscar fashion. She can be reached at (727) 409-3642 or kssmith@tampabay.com.

Lisa Gartner grew up wearing her older brother's clothes (hey Dan!) and kind of never stopped: She still has a few of his button-downs hanging in her closet; luckily his No Fear shirts have been lost to time and sense. A reformed tomboy, Lisa likes to mix masculine and feminine pieces. Her work look is, more often than not, Oxfords with pencil skirts. She owns more baggy sweaters than there are days below 70 degrees in Florida. The bags under her eyes are knock-offs. She can be reached at (727) 893-8707 or lgartner@tampabay.com.

Maggie Duffy got her love for fashion from her mama, and her mama's mama. While she's fond of wearing jewelry handmade by artists, you'll often catch her rocking $1.50 bamboo doorknocker earrings. Bamboo is actually a big motif in her style. Her love of color is evidenced by the many iterations of her hair, which she's having a blast with. She thought her sneaker game was on point until a recent trip where she saw just what she's been missing, so she's resigned herself to work that out. Her personal style can be described as street meets sweet. Years of working retail taught her never to buy full price. She can be reached at (727) 893-8572 or mduffy@tampabay.com.